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Northern Arabian Sea Circulation-Autonomous Research (NASCar): A Research Initiative Based on Autonomous Sensors

Author(s):

Luca R. Centurioni - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Verena Hormann - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Lynne D. Talley - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Isabella Arzeno - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Lisa Beal - University of Miami

Michael Caruso - University of Miami

Patrick Conroy - University of Notre Dame

Rosalind Echols - University of Washington

Harindra J.S. Fernando - University of Notre Dame

Sarah N. Giddings - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Arnold Gordon - Columbia University

Hans Graber - University of Miami

Ramsey R. Harcourt - University of Washington

Steven R. Jayne - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Tommy G. Jensen - University of Hawaii

Craig M. Lee - University of Washington

Pierre F.J. Lermusiaux - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Pierre L'Hegaret - University of Miami

Andrew J. Lucas - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Amala Mahadevan - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Julie L. McClean - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Geno Pawlak - University of California at San Diego (UCSD)

Luc Rainville - University of Washington

Stephen C. Riser - University of Washington

Hyodae Seo - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Andrey Y. Shcherbina - University of Washington

Eric Skyllingstad - Oregon State University

Janet Sprintall - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Bulusu Subrahmanyam - University of South Carolina

Eric Terrill - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Robert E. Todd - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Corinne Trott - University of South Carolina

Hugo N. Ulloa - University of California at San Diego (UCSD)

He Wang - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)

Title

Northern Arabian Sea Circulation-Autonomous Research (NASCar): A Research Initiative Based on Autonomous Sensors

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2017

Journal

Oceanography

Volume

30

Pages

74 - 87

Date Published

06-2017

Abstract

The Arabian Sea circulation is forced by strong monsoonal winds and is characterized by vigorous seasonally reversing currents, extreme differences in sea surface salinity, localized substantial upwelling, and widespread submesoscale thermohaline structures. Its complicated sea surface temperature patterns are important for the onset and evolution of the Asian monsoon. This article describes a program that aims to elucidate the role of upper-ocean processes and atmospheric feedbacks in setting the sea surface temperature properties of the region. The wide range of spatial and temporal scales and the difficulty of accessing much of the region with ships due to piracy motivated a novel approach based on state-of-the-art autonomous ocean sensors and platforms. The extensive data set that is being collected, combined with numerical models and remote sensing data, confirms the role of planetary waves in the reversal of the Somali Current system. These data also document the fast response of the upper equatorial ocean to monsoon winds through changes in temperature and salinity and the connectivity of the surface currents across the northern Indian Ocean. New observations of thermohaline interleaving structures and mixing in setting the surface temperature properties of the northern Arabian Sea are also discussed.

The Arabian Sea circulation is forced by strong monsoonal winds and is characterized by vigorous seasonally reversing currents, extreme differences in sea surface salinity, localized substantial upwelling, and widespread submesoscale thermohaline structures. Its complicated sea surface temperature patterns are important for the onset and evolution of the Asian monsoon. This article describes a program that aims to elucidate the role of upper-ocean processes and atmospheric feedbacks in setting the sea surface temperature properties of the region. The wide range of spatial and temporal scales and the difficulty of accessing much of the region with ships due to piracy motivated a novel approach based on state-of-the-art autonomous ocean sensors and platforms. The extensive data set that is being collected, combined with numerical models and remote sensing data, confirms the role of planetary waves in the reversal of the Somali Current system. These data also document the fast response of the upper equatorial ocean to monsoon winds through changes in temperature and salinity and the connectivity of the surface currents across the northern Indian Ocean. New observations of thermohaline interleaving structures and mixing in setting the surface temperature properties of the northern Arabian Sea are also discussed.